NEW ORLEANS—NaVorro Bowman is the “other” great inside linebacker who will be playing in Super Bowl XLVII on Sunday.

The Ravens’ Ray Lewis is about to play the last game of his Hall of Fame career. The 49ers’ Patrick Willis, who idolized Lewis, is also tackling his way to Canton. The reigning two-time All-Pro at a most critical position in a 3-4 defense? That’s Bowman.

What makes Bowman that good? Here’s how he would scout himself: “That kid NaVorro Bowman, man, he can run. He can bend, he can cover and do everything, and the guy next to him, he can do it, too.”

While the guy next to him, Willis, has starred since being drafted in the first round in 2007, Bowman has quickly risen to that level, minus the pedigree—he was a third-rounder in 2010. It’s to the point where Willis and Bowman are interchangeable parts with their blend of speed and strong, fundamental tackling.

“Pat and NaVorro, they’re the commanders-in-chief of the defense,” starting 49ers outside linebacker Ahmad Brooks said. “They’re so much alike. You see them on film, you can’t really tell if that’s Pat or that’s NaVorro. When NaVorro can’t make a play, Pat makes a play. When Pat can’t make a play, NaVorro makes a play. It just goes back and forth like that.”

Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio excels at keeping offenses guessing by mixing up the pair’s responsibilities. He can do that because Bowman matches Willis’ prowess in both pursuing the run upfield and covering the pass downfield. The latter trait has become a must in a league where many teams such as Sunday’s opponent, the Ravens—see Anquan Boldin, Dennis Pitta, Ray Rice—are loaded with receivers who can be deployed in the middle of the field.

“The old traditional linebacker, the big thick linebacker who plays the run game between the tackles very physically, sometimes those guys don’t have the place to be a full-time player anymore,” Fangio said. “Those types of guys have lost their spots, but our guys are athletic enough to stay out there.”

Just as Fangio trusts both Willis and Bowman to be in the right places to make plays, Bowman trusts that what Willis does will only make him stronger.

“We feed off each other a lot,” Bowman said. “Throughout any game, Pat and I are always on the same page.”

There’s no doubt Bowman wouldn’t have blossomed as quickly had Willis not been around to groom him.

“Pat’s been there whether I needed to just talk or have a question,” Bowman said. “He’s always had the answer.”

Willis sees himself as a big brother to Bowman, but there’s no sibling rivalry. Willis beams more like a proud father when talking about Bowman.

“There is no surprise seeing him having the kind of success he’s having now,” Willis said. “I just watched him prepare. I watched him day in and day out. That’s how things unveiled over time, just seeing him consistently do it. That’s where respect, for me, comes in.”

Willis is already well-respected around the league, and word is getting out that Bowman is just as good, has been the better overall player the past two seasons. Bowman isn’t about to rest on that, however.

“I still have a lot of football left to play. I’ve seen guys talked good about and they continue playing and if they’re not playing well, they’re talked bad about,” Bowman said. “The attention is great, but I just want to continue getting better and see where I end up at the end of this whole thing.”